The Peninsula Panthers opened their 2021-22 Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League season with two losses against the Victoria Cougars, including a 4-1 defeat in their home opener Friday.
At North SaanichB次元官网网址檚 Panorama Recreation Centre, the Panthers found themselves down 3-0 after 20 minutes and 4-0 with less than five minutes left in the second period. Matthew Seale broke the CougarsB次元官网网址� shutout bid with a Peninsula goal before the buzzer. The teams went scoreless in the third.
On Thursday in Esquimalt, the season was less than 13 minutes old when the Panthers found themselves down four goals against the Cougars. Goals by Payton Braun late in the first period and Owen Cox early in the second pulled the Panthers within two goals, but two quick Victoria goals midway through the second restored the four-goal difference heading into the final frame. The Panthers gave up three more in the third, with Mason McNeill scoring the PanthersB次元官网网址� final goal.
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Panthers head coach Brad Tippett said the team envisioned a different start to the season in the face of what he described as B次元官网网址渓ofty expectations,B次元官网网址� some of which were met while others were not. But if Tippett lamented the teamB次元官网网址檚 start, his comments also sounded a tone of personal accountability.
B次元官网网址淓arly in the season we are teaching systems, tactics and trying to find out who fits together,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檒l take responsibility for the fact we maybe have placed too much emphasis on that and not enough on simple combative drills. The fact is while we want players to understand the B次元官网网址榳ho, what, why, where, when and howB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� if you donB次元官网网址檛 get to the puck first it doesnB次元官网网址檛 really matter.B次元官网网址�
While the Panthers did have stretches when their compete level was where it should be, he said, B次元官网网址渢he issue was we were down before it kicked in.B次元官网网址�
The Panthers return to action Wednesday (Sept. 15) with a road game against the Westshore Wolves in Colwood. Peninsula hosts the Wolves at Panorama on this Friday with puck drop at 7:30 p.m.
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